Everything We Share
by Iris Johanne Black
Summary: He tried to withhold his fear, his uncertainty, but this..He could only withhold so much of his horror against this, could only shove down so much of the shock that rocked him. There amidst all of the knights that circled the square... "Flynn!"


**A/N:** It's long, be warned, but hopefully I've made it worth your while. I just didn't feel like making it multiple chapters. For those of you who reviewed my last one-shot, thank you. You have no idea just how much they mean to me and how much they kept me on task with writing this beast.

Takes place in between Zaude and Aurnion, probably after you start collecting mana spirits.

**Disclaimer:** The world of Terca Lumireis and its inhabitants in this fic do not belong to me. Obviously.

* * *

><p><strong>Everything We Share<strong>

The Lower Quarter: a place bustling with activity from dawn until well into the evening, a place where residents help each other out in times of great distress, where those without homes are accepted among the people as family and where the little things in life are worth celebrating.

Anyone who saw the town today would have begged to disagree with him.

Yuri leaned on the sill of his open window, straining his ears to catch the ruckus he'd grown accustomed to hearing over the years, but only the cool breeze of the approaching fall drifted inside to toss around his raven locks. Not even the tavern, which was almost always bursting with business, held any life. Normally he could hear the racket boom through the wooden floorboards - considering the tavern owner was also the owner of the inn - but not so much as a peep disturbed the still air today. Anyone who knew Zaphias' Lower Quarter would fret over its unusually taciturn walls and its surprisingly abandoned walkways.

Repede, sensing Yuri's troubled thoughts, lifted his head from his crossed paws and whined softly, but as Yuri opened his mouth to respond, three hard raps on the door interrupted him.

"It's open!" he called.

"Oh good, I was afraid you might still be asleep."

He heard Estelle breathe a sigh of relief while she spoke, but he remained transfixed on the murmering water in the canal. Still no sign of shuffling feet, idle chatter, or squeaky wagons…just the sound of the aque blastia pumping water into the fountain. For now he would hold onto the possibility that the townspeople were preparing something for their beacon of hope within the Imperial Knights; it was big news after all, Flynn's rise to Commandant, and was something worth celebrating despite the protests they would receive from said Commandant. The way they saw it, Flynn was one of their own, so his honorable promotion warranted the excuse to hold a party the likes of which no one had ever seen before.

At least that's what Yuri assumed.

He brushed away those cluttering thoughts with the shake of his head. He had a princess to entertain at the moment, and worrying about the Lower Quarter was about as useful as hitting a nail with a loaf of bread. These were the people who raised him after all! If they discovered him worrying about them, man would they be in for the laugh of a lifetime.

The deafening crash splintered the prolonged silence that day, startling Yuri from his perch against the windowsill as he directed his attention to its source. The following yelp that came from either Repede or Estelle - Yuri didn't want to venture a guess as to whom made such a dreadful noise - hung in the air as tomes buried Estelle and slid across the floor. Repede, his fur fluffed and bristling, darted away from Estelle while his barks and growls displayed his disapproval. Try as he might to look away though, Yuri could only stare at the books strewn about.

What the hell...?

"Ooooh…"Estelle bemoaned.

"Are…you okay?" Yuri asked.

He hid his bout of snickering behind a cough so she wouldn't notice the smile on his face. It took him a bit, but once he managed to recollect himself, Yuri picked his way through the mess of books that now littered his floor to help his fallen comrade. Jeez, this was worse than Rita's mountain heap back at Aspio, and _that_ was saying something!

"I'm fine," Estelle huffed, though her pained tone suggested otherwise. Warmth flushed her cheeks from her frustration and embarrassment. "I think my books are hurt worse than I am." She pouted when she heard his chuckle but accepted the hand he held out to her regardless. "I'm serious! Ooohhh…what will I do if any of the pages are crinkled? The library in the castle would surely never forgive me for damaging the bindings, especially since most of them were bound by Carpillius Nurshwar himself!"

"I don't know who that guy is, but your books are fine. None of them worse for wear, see?"

To prove his point, Yuri knelt down and snatched a rather thick tome on magic from the floor for Estelle to inspect. The binding remained intact, and the pages suffered minimal damage - what most librarians would consider normal wear and tear.

"Yes…I suppose…" Estelle confirmed as she herself collapsed onto her knees and inspected a few of the vinyl coverings of the thinner books. It was thought that this covering protected the pages from droplets of water, but really it absorbed just as much moisture as leather. Except the vinyl actually morphed the -

"Hello? Earth to Estelle, you in there?" Yuri joked. "I asked you why you brought all of these here."

"Huh?" she asked dumbly. "Oh! Yes, I thought maybe you and I could spend some time together, Yuri. You see, in case any of you ever need medical attention – that is if I happen to not be around – then maybe you could use some herbs to cover up wounds or help with sickness. Certain hospitals have been researching more into using plants to create salves since not every town can have its own doctor with healing artes. I also brought a few encyclopedias of each region's fauna, that way we don't mistake harmless animals for monsters. And then here is a map of Terca Lumireis in its younger stages, which I found quite fascinating, and-"

"Whoa, whoa, hold up, Estelle. Listen, I appreciate the sentiments and all, but I thought I told you that I've never been one to study. Stuff like that just doesn't stick with me, and" he continued before she could interrupt him, "it's useless to even try. Why not get Captain Karol to loook through them with you? I'm sure he'd be excited to look at an old map of the planet." They knew all-too-well of Karol's unique passion of map-making…and monster hunting (or running)…and lock-picking….

"But Karol is already out with Raven, and Judith and Rita left to gather supplies for our travels."

"Rita's with Judy? Huh. I never would have thought those two could get along…" Yuri contemplated aloud. He cupped his chin in his hand and peered up at the ceiling, a habit of his when something in particular piqued his interest. "So basically you were left behind to bother me while the others are out."

"No, I...Yuri, that's a really mean way to put it!" Estelle shot vehemently.

"But it's true, isn't it?" Yuri asked. He dropped his gaze to her and raised an eyebrow in a dare for her to argue otherwise. She scrunched her shoulders together, a tell-tale sign that he'd won, but she didn't take his bait. "You can try and pound that stuff into my head all you want, but I'll probably wind up playing Pictionary with Repede before too long."

"I'm sure that wouldn't be- Wait, Repede can draw?" Estelle asked, her head tilted.

"Yeah, I'd say he does a better job than most dogs, but it's still only scribbles on paper. Then again I'm not exactly an artist myself. Hell, even Repede can draw better than me."

Repede barked out a laugh, his canine lips pulled back into what could only be described as a toothy grin. Estelle stretched out a hand to touch him, but as always Repede backed away from it. She turned to Yuri, defeated and dejected. "What'd he say?"

"He said anyone could draw better than me. Not like that's news. Anyway, how about we take a look around the Lower Quarter instead? You...did notice it was quieter than usual today, didn't you?" He could at least use his feigned worry as a distraction from that blasphemous term known only as "studying."

"It was? I...I didn't notice." Ashamed, Estelle rested her cheek in her hand in her attempt to recall the walk from the castle to Yuri's room. She'd been so excited to partake in a hobby she hadn't been able to touch since before leaving the capital that she must've missed the commotion - or rather lack thereof - entirely.

"Yuri Lowell!"

Leblanc's voice boomed through the alleys and reverberated off the nearby buildings, startling both Estelle and Yuri. The Schwann Brigade didn't sound close, but the lack of activity outside definitely accentuated the echo. He and Estelle paused and looked at each other briefly as a similar thought drifted through both their minds.

"Yuri, what did you do this time?" Estelle accused, giving Yuri a rather pointed look. Trouble always nipped at his heels wherever they went, but moreso here than anywhere else. If this kept up, they would soon need to lock Yuri away in the captain's quarters aboard the Fiertia and have Ba'ul keep an eye on him so he wouldn't cause anymore commotion.

"How am I supposed to know? We've only been here for a day!"

"Knowing you, Yuri, a day is all you would need to stir up trouble with the knights..."

Yuri stared at her, abashed because he knew she spoke the truth. "Hey, it's not like I asked for this! I swear these guys are just out to get me now. Either that or I'm cursed..."

"Or it could be both," Estelle conjectured.

"I guess I can't argue with that. Welp, let's get going before we're trapped here. Come on, Repede!"

"Woof!"

Yuri snatched the strings of the scabbard that leaned against the wall, swept his gaze over the room to double check he would leave nothing of great value to their travels behind. Good, it looked like they'd be fine for now, so without hesitation, Yuri turned toward the open window and hurdled himself over the sill. Repede leapt after him, and both landed on the ground below without taking any damage.

"Yuri!" Estelle cried, her heart lodging itself in her throat while she darted to the window and prayed desperately for his and Repede's safety. It was only after she saw him look up at her confused that she realized how silly she'd been for worrying. That's right, a two-story fall was quite different than a misstep off of Zaude's peak.

"Yuri Lowell!"

"I say, give yourself up, Yuri Lowell!"

"You will not escape this time!"

Damn, the voices were a lot closer now, but at least the Schwann Brigade was always so kind to announce its presence. Of that Yuri could always be grateful.

"Come on, Estelle! We don't have the time to lounge around, so hurry it up!" Yuri called into his room.

"There's no need for you to yell. I'm right here," Estelle replied as she hopped down the last of the steps.

Yuri flashed her a quick, apologetic smile, then turned toward the town square where flecks of light from the sun reflected off the fountain of water produced by the aque blastia. Three shadows loomed over the stairway leading up to it.

To be honest, he thought they would have more time than this to escape. It was really too bad that their commanding officer wasn't here to take care of them. This whole thing would be far less troublesome if that were so, but alas, only in an ideal world...

"You guys have gotten faster! I think you're getting the hang of capturing me."

"Save it for the cell, Yuri Lowell." Venom dripped from Boccos' tone. He directed the tip of his spear at Yuri's chest, took a step forward….

"What am I wanted for this time?" Yuri huffed as he backed away toward the alley with Estelle and Repede right at his side. "I thought I was forgiven for all of my recent mischief, or did the knights find something else to blame on me?"

Just a little farther….

Yuri halted from his retreat when the heel of his foot met the edge of the walkway. Another step would drop him into the cold canal waters, and quite honestly he wasn't in the mood to catch a cold. Either here or in prison.

"That is classified information that will only be revealed upon your capture," Leblanc answered as he, too, noted warily the end of the walkway.

"What, you mean you can't even tell me what I'm wanted for? What screwed up system _is_ this?"

"Woof! Grr." Repede bared his fangs and dropped into a trained sway, prepared.

"Um…could it be that you don't know either?" Estelle ventured to ask.

She tilted her head when the trio before them paused.

"Th-That's preposterous! We know exactly what you've done, Yuri Lowell, and this time you won't be forgiven!"

"Looks like you nailed that one, Estelle," Yuri said.

Boccos charged, his spear steady, centered on its target. As a matter of fact, so focused was he, he neither heard Leblanc's warning nor saw the smirk on Yuri's face until it was already too late. In one fluid motion, Yuri ducked to the side of the spear and jutted his foot out. As predicted, Boccos' reaction time was too slow to halt his advance. He tripped over Yuri's out-stretched leg and rolled – rather well actually - into the canal. The following splash cued Repede into a dash past Leblanc and Adecor so that one (Leblanc) wound up with his face planted into the tavern wall and the other (Adecor) stumbled back into the canal.

"Sorry, but I'm not in the mood to get thrown into jail today," Yuri said to Leblanc as he passed him by.

"Yuri, wait! We can't just leave them like that, can we?" Estelle asked, her voice laced with concern. They were only trying to do what they thought was right.

"Sure we can! They'll be fine, trust me. A little swim might even do them some good, and I'm sure their captain would approve as well," Yuri answered in that confident tone of his.

He leapt up the remaining stairs two at a time and paused just long enough to watch the clowns reform – at least attempt to – and for Estelle to climb after him. She turned around when she heard his snigger, and saw his reason for doing so. Leblanc, in his pathetic attempt to help Adecor climb out of the canal, fell in alongside him.

"I kind of feel sorry for them…."

"Why? They'll be back on their feet in no time. Then they'll be back to chasing me with no harm done, so just go along with it, all right?"

"Yuri, are you causing trouble with the knights again? And dragging that sweet, young lady into it, too."

"You've got it all wrong, Hanks. Estelle just stopped by with some books and -"

"Books? Ha ha, Yuri, you mean to tell me this young lass convinced you to finally start studying?"

"We didn't actually decide on what we were going to do before the knights interrupted us," Estelle revealed, though the smile she wore was kind as always.

"I see. Well, that's too bad. This kid needs someone around to keep his brain from rotting!"

"Hey, I know what I need to survive! By the way, Hanks, I have a question for you before we hit the road."

"And what would that be, Yuri?"

"Where's the rest of the Lower Quarter?"

"I must admit that I'm rather curious to know myself," Estelle said. Maybe Hanks would budge a little if they both wanted to know….

"Ahh, so you caught that, eh? I guess that's not too surprising, seeing as how sharp you can be."

"Hanks… It's not just about Flynn's promotion, is it?"

He was avoiding the question on purpose. Gravity tugged Yuri's lips into a frown, one that demanded answers that Yuri would never receive. The silence that passed between them was palpable until the sound of the Schwann Brigade reforming their ranks disrupted the tense atmosphere. Hanks wasn't going to budge on this one.

"Uh, Yuri. I think we should go before we're caught again," Estelle cut in. She hid it well, but her voice still quivered with uncertainty.

She tugged on Yuri's sleeve so he would turn and heard him swear under his breath when Leblanc and his goons clambered up the stairs, water leaking from their armor like it would from a cracked vase. He nodded to Estelle.

"I'll be back for answers, Hanks!"

"Sure thing, Yuri," the older man returned, beaming.

The motley crew ran for the path that would lead out of the Lower Quarter and eventually the city altogether. Yuri berated himself. He should have seen this coming…what a hassle. If anything could be said about the Lower Quarter, it was that once they got an idea in their minds, the people wouldn't let go of it until something was done about it.

"Do you know what the people of the Lower Quarter are planning?" Estelle asked once Hanks was out of earshot. Her curiosity inflated like a bubble, but Yuri saw fit to burst it before it could expand too far.

"Whatever it is, it's not important right now. Let's just focus on getting out of the city before-"

"What's not important?" interrupted another voice as a particular blonde-haired knight stepped forth from the shadows of a nearby building to block the fading path. Yuri and Estelle skidded to a halt before the newly appointed Commandant. Yuri's lip curled upward in an annoyed grimace at the obstruction that presented itself before them. Repede halted in front of them, crouched and with his fangs bared. He sensed something amiss...

"Dammit, Flynn, could you have picked a worse time? I don't have the time to talk to you before Leblanc and company shows up, so if you wouldn't mind stepping out of the way…."

"As I recall, wasn't it you who returned here knowing full well we might take you into custody?" Flynn's piercing blue eyes bore straight through Yuri as he placed a hand on the hilt of his sword. Flynn's face remained smooth as marble, but Yuri could see the storm brewing in those eyes, the difficulty with which Flynn tried to disguise it. Yuri winced; this was bad…very bad. "I never wanted this of you, Yuri, but my orders are to apprehend you before you leave the city."

Yuri eyed the knights that filled every nook and cranny of every alley, archers that stood atop every roof, and reinforcements that circled behind him, Estelle, and Repede. Repede threw his head around, ready to spring at the sound of a command, yet ready to stand down by Flynn's orders. Yuri observed Estelle take a hesitant step back and look around at the endless quantity of soldiers. As always, Flynn had his own trusty entourage on either side of him.

"You will not escape this time, Yuri Lowell. Commander Flynn has taken every precaution to ensure your escape would not be possible," Sodia declared, her eyes ablaze.

"You may as well surrender. Resisting capture surely wouldn't end very well for you." Of course Apple Head had to throw in his two-cents as well. Yuri's arrest just wouldn't be complete without the snide remarks from Flynn's posse.

"Gloat anymore and I'll be able to smell the stench from here," Yuri remarked.

"Why you!" Sodia hissed, bristling with pent-up rage. It was good to at least see the drive in Sodia's eyes again, to know that she remembered her reason for almost killing him back at Zaude, but Flynn ordered her to stand down before she had a chance to finish that thought.

Still, Yuri knew that even with a sword, this situation just wasn't one he could overcome. Flynn broke out the big guns this time and made sure Yuri knew it.

"All right, all right, you caught me, Flynn. Whatever it is I'm wanted for, I'll sit like a good boy and listen." To further prove his point, Yuri raised his hands in surrender. "It's just me you're after, right?" Flynn nodded once. "Then you won't mind if Estelle and Repede claim their freedom here. Here, you can take this as well." Yuri tossed his sword in Flynn's direction, which Flynn caught with undying grace. Show-off. Repede turned his one-eyed stare back at his master and stood down after acknowledged by Yuri's nod to do so.

"But we can't just leave you, Yuri," Estelle argued despite his surrender. She turned her worried attention to Flynn. "Please, Flynn, at least tell us why you're arresting Yuri now."

"Hey, don't worry about it," Yuri interrupted before Flynn had a hair-breadth's chance at a reply. "It's not like I'll be sentenced to death…. At least not right away. They'll leave me to rot in a jail cell for a few days, keep a close eye on me to make sure I don't escape, hold some sort of trial, _then_ kill me," Yuri explained nonchalantly, even shrugged his shoulders.

"Yuri! Don't joke about something like that!" The terror she expressed helped to lighten the severity of the situation. At least he could still get her to worry over something so trivial.

"I assure you, Lady Estellise, he will receive reasonable accommodations during his house arrest within the castle. You needn't worry yourself, but Yuri, I think you're taking your situation a little too lightly. Please, don't bring any more attention to yourself than you already have," Flynn requested. "At least while you're within the castle," he tacked on as an afterthought.

"Yeah, yeah. I promise I'll be on my best behavior."

Flynn caught the sarcasm and let out an exhausted sigh. Why did it always come down to extremes when dealing with his friend? This wasn't how he wanted Yuri to wind up, so why did it _always_ wind up this way? He signaled the knights to move out and took up march behind Yuri, just on the off-chance Yuri decided to break for it.

Estelle walked to the side of Flynn, watched him in silence as he followed Yuri and the knights back toward the castle, a parade large enough for any noble passerby to witness. It wasn't long before gossip boomed amongst them, but it was the pained expression on Flynn's face that retained Estelle's concern. When he noticed this, he smiled at her, a gentle but weary smile. If he was trying to soothe her worries, that smile only heightened them. This situation appeared graver than even the Adephagos threat high above them.

An idea occurred to her.

"Flynn, Yuri's arrest doesn't have to do with the Adephagos' appearance, does it?"

It was enough to pique Yuri's curiosity so that he inclined his head to look back at Estelle while they trudged onward.

"I'm afraid that's classified information. I do not have the authority to speak to anyone about the reasons behind Yuri's arrest."

"Could it be that you don't know either, Flynn? Is it because of what happened at Zaude?" she pressed, hoping to pull some sort of clue from him.

"Wait, the Council isn't trying to group me together with Alexei, are they?" While it was true that Alexei unlocked the seal on Zaude, Yuri didn't exactly help his cause any by vanishing after the Commandant's death.

"It doesn't look good, Yuri," was the only answer Flynn provided.

They ascended the castle stairs in silence now that their reasons for conversing reached a dead-end, but instead of heading toward the prison cells like Yuri previously anticipated, Flynn directed them into the opposite hallway. They traversed up a set of marble staircases that led to what Yuri could have sworn was the royal family's guest quarters. The open door they halted in front of certainly suggested so, but surely they wouldn't provide such grand hopsitality to a petty criminal? However, the knights parted to allow Yuri passage into the room.

"You're not serious, are you, Flynn? I'm a prisoner, not a guest."

"But we're also on the third floor, and the door will be locked behind you. The Council thought it would be a better idea to place you in here rather than down in the jail cell you tend to break out of every time you're there."

"Ahh, so they know about that. About time they realized their security sucks."

"Sodia," Flynn addressed the young woman next to him, ignoring Yuri's snide remarks, "please stand outside the door and make sure Yuri doesn't escape."

"Yes, Commander!"

"Yuri, if you would?"

Yuri let out a defeated sigh and waved his hand nonchalantly as he walked into the room. "Fine, fine…but don't think I won't pay you back for this, Birthday Boy."

It took the stunned listeners a few seconds to let Yuri's nickname to Flynn settle into their minds. Flynn himself groaned when he realized just what Yuri said and just how much he enunciated it. A ripple of chuckles rumbled amongst the knights.

"Flynn, is it really your birthday?" Estelle inquired, her eyes wide with gleaming interest and growing excitement. "Oh, why didn't you say so before?"

"L-Lady Estellise, my date of birth shouldn't be your main concern right now."

"Woof! Woo...Woof woof woof!" Repede answered.

"Look at that, you've even upset Repede," Yuri teased, satisfied grin tucked in place as he watched his friend struggle under Estelle's scrutinizing stare.

Estelle stepped in front of Flynn, her hands clenched into fists. "Flynn, how long were you planning to keep this from me? To think I've known you for years already, but I never knew when your birthday was! We must do something to celebrate! I could prepare something special, and I'm sure Ioder would agree with me, and-"

"Surely my birthday isn't that important-"

"Yes, it is!"

"Careful, Flynn, once she gets an idea in her head, she won't stop until she sees it through," Yuri warned. Despite his so-called "grave situation," he wore a light-hearted grin at Estelle's persistence and Flynn's obvious discomfort. Repede's bark of agreement rang down the hall.

"I could have at least had something prepared beforehand! Even if it was something small, it would be better than nothing. Oh, I know! I'll at least have a cake prepared for you right away. It won't be much, but it'll be something while I find a befitting gift."

"But, Lady Estellise, I have other duties I must attend to -"

"So send Apple Head," a slight pause while Witcher voiced his objection to the nickname, "to do the tasks for you. Take a day to relax and enjoy yourself, Flynn, while there's still plenty of daylight left."

"Yes, Yuri's right. You've been in a hurry ever since the Adephagos first appeared in the sky. I read in a book once that not taking a few hours in the day to rest is actually bad for your body."

Flynn let out a sigh very similar to Yuri's – they shared habits as a result of their close relationship from when they were children – and relented.

"Since Her Highness is so adamant about this, I suppose a few hours wouldn't do any harm, but I'm afraid you'll still need to remain in this room for the day, Yuri."

"Hey, fine by me. Not like I was planning on going anywhere today. Go out and enjoy yourself for once. You, too, Estelle," he added as soon as he sensed her hesitation.

"But what about-"

"I'll be fine, and I'll even have company!"

Sodia snapped out of her reverie and shot Yuri an acidic glare that could wilt flowers. "I don't revel in the company of criminals, least of all _you_, Yuri Lowell. I'm merely acting on Commander Flynn's orders."

"I'll leave you to it then, Sodia. Thank you."

And just like that, the door clicked shut behind Yuri, the lock snapped into place, and the commotion amongst the knights in the hall dulled to quiet murmurs until those, too, faded into silence. Yuri sighed and walked to the windowsill, which faced the back of the castle so he couldn't observe the activity happening out front. He couldn't help but feel like this was deliberate….

Still, the reason for his arrest, while he refused to let others see it, concerned him. Sodia…. It could very well be her fault he was in this mess, not that she would know it, but to the Council it probably looked oddly suspicious for him to take the life of Alexei and then vanish for…how long was it? Well, either way it was between a few days and a week. They probably caught wind of his other activities as well. Ragou and Cumore, while on the opposite end of the spectrum from the righteous knight Flynn had become, had their influence in the Council, at least enough sway to remain in power. Rotten apples would only spread their rot….

The Council was probably desperate to get him out of their hair as soon as they could, even if it risked negotiations with the Guilds. After all, Brave Vesperia was itself an official guild now, and it was up to the guilds to take care of their members, but while on Empire territory, he was subject to the Empire's laws. Why they bothered with him when that monster in the sky threatened to engulf the entirety of the world was something he couldn't fathom.

Yuri eventually settled himself on the windowsill like he would back in his room, his gaze sweeping out over the picturesque horizon while he waited for some final verdict on what his fate would be.

"Aren't you bothered by it?" Sodia ventured to ask after a couple hours of silence passed between the two. They weren't exactly best pals, and all other attempts Yuri made at small talk ended in failure. It's what he got for trying to do something so out of ordinary for him.

"Bothered by what?" Yuri answered. Did he sound bothered? If so, it wasn't what he intended.

"That the Council may very well try and have a death sentence approved for you."

"Oh that? Nah, I'm not too worried. The Council has its own problems at the moment, like desperately trying to figure out what to do about the Adephagos. I'm just a bug under their shoes right now. What about you? Seems like you've found your footing again."

He heard her shuffle around on the other side of the door and pictured her looking uncertain. Maybe he spoke too soon…

"It's no thanks to you, Yuri Lowell."

…or perhaps not.

"Well, I wouldn't want to steal any of the credit, you know."

They fell into another silence that lasted through the middle of the afternoon and clear into sunset. Without the light of the sun to blur the Adephagos from view, it now blotted out the stars in the sky. No matter where they went, its ropy extensions pulsed with life. To think, something so destructive was created by the very aer that kept everything alive….

The snick of the lock diverted Yuri's attention away from the ominous threat that loomed above. He stared at the door, but it never opened. He couldn't hear any movement from outside either…. Eyebrows furrowed together in concern, Yuri inched toward the door and pressed his back up against it.

"Sodia, you there?"

The silence was so deafening, Yuri could feel it pounding through his ears. He tested the handle; as he thought, it was unlocked. A quick yank pulled the door open, but no one stood beyond the frame, not even the one in charge of him.

"If this is a prank, it isn't funny."

Poking his head out the door revealed a whole lot of nothing as well, just the dimly lit hallways. No sound of knights approaching, no call of alarm to show that anything was amiss...nothing.

"I'll be taking my leave then if no one's going to argue."

If this was someone's idea of a sick joke to entrap him and involve him in more trouble, they would be in for a rude awakening. The halls were eerie without the presence of the knights, amplified by the lack of people in general. Yuri closed the door behind him so that on the off-chance that any knight sauntered by, they would think he was still in the room. However, as he darted down the halls toward the entrance of the castle, he noticed a vital part of the castle was missing: no knight came across his view, no sign of them fulfilling their nightly rounds. No sign of Flynn in his room, either, which meant he was still out and about or something happened…. Even the racket he made went unheard...

"I've got a bad feeling about this…."

Exiting the castle didn't sate the increasing pressure in his chest either, only further added to the anxiety when he saw the lack of nobility on the streets. Okay, now he was just being stupid. Of course the nobles would be safe in their cozy little homes. Going out at night without an escort was far too dangerous for them.

His pace quickened the closer he grew to the Lower Quarter, his attempts at convincing himself that everything was well failing miserably. Everyone was fine...but he still walked that much faster. Everyone was probably already back in their homes (or the tavern) and settlinlg in for the night...but the need to confirm this only further drove Yuri until he could hear the sound of the fountain, could see the array of lights.

The momentary reprieve that washed over him at the sound of activity couldn't have prepared him for the barrage of knights flooding the Lower Quarter's cobblestone walkways. He skidded to a halt

He tried, dammit. He tried to withhold his fear, his uncertainty, but this... He could only withhold so much of his horror against this, could only swallow so much of the shock that rocked him. There...amidst all of the knights that circled the square stood the Commandant, his expression calm, solemn even.

"Flynn!" Yuri howled.

"Yuri, good of you to join us," Flynn greeted. Sodia and Witcher stood on either side of him, but Yuri focused solely on the blonde.

"Flynn, what the hell is going on here? Why are the knights storming the Lower Quarter?"

As he spoke, Yuri shook with mounting rage, quiverd with unspoken fear that something might have happened to everyone behind his back. His livid gaze never left Flynn's.

"I'm glad you asked. We've been waiting for _you_ to arrive."

"You've been…what? Cut the crap, Flynn, and tell me where everyone is. What happened to Estelle? The people of the Lower Quarter?"

"I'll tell you if you beat me in a one-on-one match," Flynn declared.

He tossed Yuri's sword back at him, scabbard and all, and watched while his friend contemplated his offer. A one-on-one match? Normally Yuri would have leapt at the opportunity to have a bout with Flynn, but now wasn't the time and here wasn't the place! He just wanted to see his friends safe...

"You've gotta be kidding me."

"It's the only way I'll answer your questions concerning the citizens of the Lower Quarter, though I assure you they're quite safe...for now."

It was a warning to Yuri. If he didn't agree to this match, then he could only guess what Flynn's orders were to deal with the citizens. No...while the Council could care less about how the people here lived, they wouldn't order slaughter. That would reflect badly on them and would result in the loss of trust from the other citizens. This had to be a bluff... The people were fine; it was just Yuri they were after. Well, no reason to drop the facade now.

"Didn't I warn you, Flynn? That if you ever became a villain, I would cut you down?"

"I seem to recall that conversation, yes, but you'll have to back up that warning with skill, you know. Have you caught up to me, Yuri?"

Yuri's eyes narrowed in a terrible glare, the air pregnant with his unadulterated fury. He recognized the jab for what it was and responded in kind. With a flick of his wrist, Yuri's scabbard flew towards one of the nearby knights, who caught it with quick reflexes. Flynn drew his own sword from its sheathe and slid one foot forward in preparation to attack.

"Well don't keep me waiting, Flynn! Come on already!"

"If you insist!"

Flynn charged forward, shield clutched tight in his left hand, his sword swinging diagonally in his right. Yuri parried the attack with the butt of his hilt and counterattacked by swinging his sword above his head and driving it down vertically toward Flynn's shoulder. An expert with the shield, Flynn blocked the onslaught before the sword could bite into his armor and used his prowess to shove Yuri back.

"You never let up, do you?" Yuri taunted.

He regained his footing just in time to block Flynn's on-coming attack, and a successful feint on his part allowed him to strike the Commandant's face with his fist, which felt _oh_-so-satisfying. It stung, and the strength behind it resulted in Flynn's teeth clamping down on the inside of his cheek, which spilled blood into his mouth. He spat it out and smirked.

"And you, my idiot friend, never know when to give in."

"Huh, and here I always thought it was the other way around."

Even now Yuri couldn't hold onto his raw anger in the presence of a challenge, but he _would _beat Flynn into telling him where the others were. Together they locked swords, and together they broke that same lock and leapt back, which allowed Flynn the brief opportunity to wipe blood from his mouth.

"You're getting rusty, Flynn, if you let me get the first strike. I've gotten stronger since we last fought, you know. Keep holding back and I'll kick your ass to the Adephagos and back."

Yuri darted forward without allowing Flynn the chance to speak and feinted an attack. Given the opportunity, he slipped behind the Commandant and lunged, but Flynn foresaw this and knocked the sword to the side with his shield. The lunge from his own weapon slit Yuri's cheek, a minor scratch with a lot of blood.

"Don't let your pride infect your brain, or I'll just have to see fit to beat that out of you as well," Flynn warned.

"You can sure as hell try, but I'll warn you, I won't get beaten as easily as I did when we were kids."

Yuri backed away, a smile on his face the likes of which Flynn hadn't seen in a long time. If there was anything he knew about Yuri Lowell, it was that there were multiple sides to his friend, each differing depending on his mood. He'd known Yuri long enough to know when his friend's lips tightened in a strained smile, when mischief lurked behind it, when he displayed it to disguise the frown that would let others know just how troubled he was. The longer Flynn thought about it, while he blocked another attack from Yuri, the longer it felt like since he'd last been around Yuri to see him sincerely grin out of the sheer enjoyment of the moment.

The crash of their swords in another lock sparked another thought in the back of Flynn's mind, one he hadn't even considered during this little bout with Yuri. However, now that he paid attention, he could feel his own lips upturned in a grin, one he normally hid because of the anxiety of his trials as a knight. He'd almost forgotten what it was like to enjoy himself, what it was like to relax.

Something whistled through the air and into the sky, and the following explosion that sounded above decided the match. Yuri dropped his guard and stared at the bright flecks of color that sizzled out of view, his eyes widening in awe and disbelief. Flynn pulled away and tossed his sword into his opposite hand, balled his hand into a tight fist...and struck Yuri across the cheek with his gauntleted hand. The poor fool didn't even see it coming, and the shock alone dropped him to the ground.

"What the hell?" Yuri snapped, his hand rubbing the cheek Flynn pummeled.

"That was for the scare you gave me at Zaude."

Oh, so that's what all this was about...

Another firework flared to life above them in the sky as the round of knights laughed heartily at the look on Yuri's face. If only the lousy bunch could see just how livid Flynn looked, like he was ready to throw another punch at his fallen friend or – Lord forbid – kick him while he was down.

"Flynn, you…"

"Do you know what it was like, Yuri?" Flynn seethed. "To send ship after ship out with ever-decreasing morale while trying to look for your lost friend? To know that you could very well not locate his body until weeks after his death? Or worse, not at all?"

"I'm alive, aren't I? There's no need for you to -"

"That's not the point, Yuri!" Flynn announced, exasperated. Another explosion in the sky along with more colors blotted out the stars and the Adephagos. "I didn't want to believe that you were dead, but every day that passed suggested otherwise. It came to the point where I soon expected to hear news of someone locating your corpse washed up on some distant shore."

"I'm almost hurt that you'd give up on me so easily!" Yuri complained. "Though I'll be the first to admit that if I actually hit the water, the impact alone probably would have killed me, but lucky for me that didn't happen. You can send your thanks to Duke."

Flynn huffed a bedraggled sigh before he reached out a hand to help the fool stand. Yuri accepted it, a smile on his face despite the swell of his cheek from Flynn's punch.

"Man, I gotta admit though, you hit _hard_."

"Well, what do you expect? I'm still pissed off at you for your vanishing act, but I'm not about to let that get in the way of this celebration. I'll have plenty of time later to beat the snot out of you. Happy birthday, Yuri."

"You as well, Flynn." Yuri clapped his friend on the shoulder, but when Flynn began turning, he tightened the grasp. "So where is everyone?"

"What, you haven't figured it out yet, Yuri?" Hanks' muffled voice echoed from somewhere, but from where-

"See? I told you he wouldn't get it," Rita answered as she pulled a helmet off her head. "That was a nice show you two put on."

"Hanks! Wait, _Rita_?" Yuri blubbered, his face betraying his bemusement. "Don't tell me the entire Lower Quarter dressed themselves up as knights!"

"No, not all of us," the owner of the inn and tavern said as she pushed her way through the "knights". She held something in her hands, a package that could only mean trouble.

"You guys…don't tell me you went and wasted all of your money again."

"Wasted? Ha! Yuri, you should know by now that none of us have the money to waste. What we put it towards is very meaningful, even if you don't think so," Hanks chortled.

"Well, we all helped out a little," Judith said as she, too, removed a knight's helmet. Her hair spilled neatly over her shoulders, and she massaged her antennae to smooth the crinkle in them.

Estelle, too, removed a helmet, Raven following suit behind her. Yuri's shoulders sagged in defeat. To think he'd been fooled by all of them when it should have been so _obvious_.

"Phew! Never thought I'd haf'ta wear somethin' like that again. Brings back baaad memories," Raven complained. "Ya'd better accept the gift, kid, or ol' Raven is gonna beat ya ta a pulp. It's the least ya could do ta make up fer what I had ta wear."

"Seriously, do you even realize how hard it was for us to plan all of this without you figuring it out? Just accept the stupid present!" Rita ordered, blunt as ever.

"Well said, Rita dear!"

"Please, Yuri. All of us pitched together to have this tailored for you," Estelle begged while Rita punched Raven in the arm in the background.

"That's right! Even Sodia and I added in what we could," Witcher commented, deft fingers pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose out of habit.

"What, seriously?" Yuri groaned as Witcher nodded. He looked from them to Flynn, then finally to the box.

Well there was something he had never expected. He couldn't just accept something he hadn't earned, but he didn't want to put everyone's money to waste either. Flynn, sensing Yuri's confliction, placed a hand on his friend's shoulder.

"Yuri, just take it. I promise you won't regret it."

"Well, if the mighty Flynn says so, then it must be true," Yuri joked sarcastically albeit not unkindly.

He took the package in one hand, his sword in the other. Raven, who was the one to catch the scabbard, took the sword Yuri offered him and placed it back where it belonged.

"Always wondered how ya never lost any of these," Raven said.

"Repede's always been good at tracking them down for me, wherever they go."

Now that he didn't have to worry about balancing his sword as well as the surprisingly heavy package, Yuri stared down at the wrapping that covered it. Just underneath the bow sat a little card with Yuri's name on it. Something was written on the other side….

He flipped the card over, chuckled to himself.

_To: Yuri Lowell_

_From: Too Many Friends To Put On One Card_

He inspected the wrapping paper more closely and noted that several signatures lined it, most of them too messy to even read. If he'd been down here at all during the day, the residents wouldn't have been able to get away with nearly as much as they had. No wonder he was "arrested."

"Aw, you're going to make me tear into something you all took the time to sign?"

The steady stream of fireworks bathed the Lower Quarter in a multitude of varying colors as they built up to a stunning climax. Really, these guys…. This was the exact reason why he didn't want anyone to know of the birthday he shared with Flynn.

"Flynn told us that you've lived on your own for so long you couldn't remember when your birthday was," Estelle said, reading Yuri's thoughts. "He also told us about how when you two were children, you both decided to have your birthday on the same day."

"You mean Flynn decided," Yuri corrected. "It was on his own birthday that he remembered he never found out when mine was. Since we shared everything else, he decided we should share the same birthday as well."

He'd never really cared for birthdays or celebrations...but Flynn always made sure he was never left out. He didn't have a family to celebrate a birthday with, so it really had been a meaningless holiday to him until Flynn took it upon himself to think otherwise.

"I see what you're doing, Yuri, but don't think you can stall forever. Once the kids get back, you'd better be ready to open that gift."

"Yeah, yeah." Damn, he should have known Hanks would see through his stalling so easily.

"I'd reckon they'll be back any minute, too. Sounds like they're wrapping up the fireworks display."

After Hanks spoke, everyone dissolved into silence so they could appreciate the remainder of the fireworks. Yuri looked over at Flynn and flashed him a grin.

"Don't think for a minute I'll forget about these marks on my face, and don't forget, these fireworks are for you just as much as they are me."

"Just…shut up, Yuri," Flynn ordered, though he returned the grin.

"What? We have to celebrate your promotion somehow!"

Yuri looked back to the sky, the anxiety that clutched him earlier dissipating, replaced by the actions of his friends and everyone he knew. Somewhere nearby he could hear the Goon Brigade weeping and blubbering about how thoughtful everyone here was or something like that. Suddenly, everyone's actions that day made sense, why Rita vanished with Judith, and why Karol and Raven set out together. Why Estelle stayed behind… They were really too much sometimes…and he'd fallen straight for it.

Cheers roared amongst the Lower Quarter residents as the fireworks ended in perhaps the grandest display the Empire had ever seen. They hugged each other, clapped, and cheered with the people around them. That's right, this wasn't just about him. Flynn finally made Commandant and was one step closer to achieving his goals, Alexei's tyranny ended before it really had a chance to bear fruit, the Empire would soon have a good Emperor to take the throne, Estelle returned to them, Yuri survived his near-death experience…. All of this was a celebration for whatever was worth celebrating to these people; his and Flynn's birthday was just one excuse to hold it. The Adephagos would fall by their hands as well, of that Yuri would make sure.

"Yuri! Did you see that?" Karol called as he and the children of the Lower Quarter tramped down the slope.

"Good job, Captain Karol! I think you managed to put on the largest display of fireworks anyone here has ever seen."

"Woof woof!"

Repede bounded ahead of Karol and the other children to plow into Yuri.

"Did you keep them company, Repede?"

"Woof!"

"It was amazing, wasn't it? I never knew fireworks like that even existed!"

"You did a wonderful job, Karol!" Estelle praised. "They were so beautiful! Like flowers in full bloom."

"Flowers? No wonder they have such short life spans," Yuri kidded.

"You have to take the fun out of everything, don't you, Yuri?" Estelle pouted. "Oh, let me heal you-"

Yuri took hold of Estelle's hands and lowered them before she could concentrate enough to heal him. She locked eyes with him, her own wide and bewildered.

"Leave it for now."

"But-"

"What's with guys and their desire to show off their battle wounds?" Rita asked, her arms crossed. "I swear, you get injured just to show off how macho you can be."

"Rita, dear, ya jus' don't understand the fine details of man-to-man bondin'."

"You're right, I don't. It's just stupid."

"I'm not sure I feel comfortable about you talking about male bonding, Old Man," Yuri chimed in, his expression dropping to one of nonchalance.

"Whaddya mean?"

"Yuri, would ya stop stalling already and open the damn box?" Hanks interrupted before anyone could get another say in edge-wise.

"Yikes, looks like I don't have a choice. All right, all right, if you insist."

Yuri dug a finger into where the packaging paper creased along the edges of the box and felt it tear where he tugged. Everyone fixed their eyes on him as he finished tearing the paper and lifted the top of the box to reveal a uniform, but not one like he wore in the knights or like the ones he had to change into throughout their journey.

"You guys…" he said, an unfamiliar, almost _gentle_ tone underlying his exasperation.

He placed a hand on the silky material and lifted the vest out of the box. He pulled on it, just to test out its durability, but no matter how powerful his tug, the material refused to stretch so much as a centimeter. Whoever tailored this was definitely a professional in the field, which made him wonder just how much the vest alone cost. The sleeves were long and cuffed at the wrist. A silver lining decorated the outer-edges of the vest with so much attention paid to detail that he was left wondering how long it would have even taken someone to tailor something like this. He wasn't usually one for clothing, but the thread that this material was woven out of was more than just part of a design. It was to _protect_. Whatever challenges they would face, Yuri knew the material would last, which said a lot considering his first outfit was ruined by the time he, Estelle, and Repede even reached Halure at the beginning of their journey.

Speechless, Yuri handed the vest to Estelle to hold while he looked at what else these crazy people did for him. Just underneath the vest lay a thin layer of armor made out of very thin loops of metal, like chainmail. What sort of material composed it, Yuri couldn't have said. When he ran a hand down it, the metal was smooth as silk; however, when he rubbed his hand the opposite way, the material snagged his hand. He recalled his dread when he had to wear chain mail during their journey because the shop had been low on other supplies, but this was...different. Lighter.

"I could go into details," Rita announced when she noticed his puzzled expression, "but I don't think you'd understand or care to understand. I'll at least tell you what it'll protect you against. That armor is both heat and cold-resistant because it's been imbued with different elements of magic. For example, if I cast a wind spell on you and it hit, the armor would automatically deflect the attack because the wind element that's imbued in the armor would act as a shield. Any scrap metal with elemental resistance you've had before pales in comparison to this. Those won't even come close to the material this is made out of. It wasn't in the initial gift design, but..."

"I'm afraid it was by my suggestion," Flynn said, bearing the responsibility. When Yuri glared at him, Flynn flashed him a sheepish grin.

"Sounds almost like you played a part in making this," Yuri directed toward Rita, but he paused when she ducked her head towards her shoulders and a slight blush of embarrassment lined her cheeks. "Wait, you seriously helped?"

"W-well, all I did was provide the theory to the manufacturer. If anything, the elemental properties of it are closer to mana than anything created through blastia or pure aer…"

"You've really out-done yourself this time, Rita. You, too, Flynn." The second one was sarcastic. Definitely sarcastic.

"She's been having all sorts of fun working out that silly theory of hers," Karol laughed. A quick karate chop resulted in a startled yelp from the boss of Brave Vesperia. "What the hell, Rita? I thought we agreed you wouldn't hit me tonight!"

"Well, you should do a better job not to irritate me then," Rita declared. She looked away, her expression an epitome of nonchalance.

Yuri shook his head and chuckled. It was times like this, when everyone could still enjoy themselves despite the danger that lurked ahead in the shadows, that made everything worth fighting for. Fight so everyone else can smile….

He placed the chainmail-like armor in Estelle's arms and looked at what else awaited him in the endless box. A long-sleeved shirt that would go over the armor lay underneath it, made out of the same silky material as the vest. Stripes ran down the length of the shirt, dips that added the designer's own taste into the already exquisite material. Yet there was something simple about the designs in the clothes, made out of material fit for a noble but as plain as what people from the Lower Quarter would wear.

The pants were just as simplistic with a silver seam that ran down each side. They were made for maneuverability and not quite as constricting as the shirt and vest would be – though the shirts had a decent amount of room for movement as well. In between the belt loops ran a belt that held a clasp for sheathes, but Yuri doubted he would ever use it. Carrying around his weapon with the strings wrapped around his hand was just easier when compared to taking the time to snapping the sheathe somewhere on a belt.

Underneath the pants sat the last of the items, a pair of boots and cloth gauntlets. The boots, from the look of it, extended half-way up his calf and were made with agility in mind. He hated wearing anything that weighed him down, reminding him of the first pair of shoes he ruined on their journey. It took him _forever_ to decide on a new pair that would be lightweight. Back when they had "time" to kill...

The first thing he noticed about the gauntlets was the attachment plate where his Bodhi blastia would fit. The right gauntlet also had an attachment plate for his second-hand weapon, but other than that there wasn't anything special about them. Probably for the best.

"Well, Yuri? Do you think this'll do?" Hanks asked, interrupting Yuri's observances of each piece that now belonged to him.

"This was way more than I could have asked for. Seriously, this is worse than the five hundred gald you guys snuck into my pocket when I first left the Lower Quarter. I guess I'll just have to make sure this gets put to good use. I'd hate for it to go to waste now that you've taken the time and money to have it made."

"Wow, Yuri, you took this a lot easier than we all thought you would. We expected you to outright refuse it, then we'd have to corner you and put the uniform on ourselves before you'd be willing to keep it!" Karol exclaimed, eyebrows arched in awe. "You never accept _anything_!"

"Yes, though he might not be willing to keep it until he tries it on first," Judy said on the sly, her lips curled upwards like a cat's. "I think he should show it off for us and let us see just what we put our money into."

"Now?" Yuri asked, incredulous. Damn, so much for putting it off...

"Oh, I think that's a fabulous idea! Yuri can put on his new clothing, and all of us can change out of these knight uniforms! I'm sorry, Flynn, but these uniforms don't…um…have the best smell," Estelle explained.

Flynn laughed. "Yes, that's true. They've been sitting around collecting dust since my unit still hasn't grown very much, so it's no surprise that they're emitting unusual odors."

"That sounds like a _wonderful_ idea! I could even help the ladies change outta their armor," Raven offered, a hand on his chin.

"Oh, I think we'll be okay," Judith said. "I'd hate for you to strain yourself."

"Judith, darlin', helpin' any of ya out wouldn't be a strain on this ol' man."

"Give it a rest, would you, you pervert? We don't need your help," Rita snapped.

"Rita, dear, yer killin' me with that glare of yers. Would ya mind turnin' it away? It's sappin' away my life."

"Ooo, I'll show you!" A glyph lit up underneath Rita as she prepared her usual fireball spell that the group was so akin to seeing.

"Whoa, Rita, calm down. The Lower Quarter's seen enough damages for one lifetime," Yuri explained.

"S-sorry," Rita quickly apologized as she cancelled the spell and crossed her arms.

"Anyway, I'll go ahead and put this thing on so you can gawk at what you wasted your money on."

Yuri turned away and waved before he walked away from the group, Repede close on his heels. He let out an audible sigh once no one could see or hear him and took the stairs two at a time to his room.

"Don't suppose you had a paw in on this, too, huh, Repede?"

"Woof! Woof, woof!"

"If you'd at least known what they were going to do, you could have stopped them. This is just too troublesome, but I guess it shows just how much hope they're placing on on us to defeat the Adephagos."

Repede whined, which pulled a laugh from Yuri.

"Makes my gift to Flynn seem dull. Looks like he and everyone else outdid me this time, too."

"Wooo..."

"You go back to the others, Repede. I'll head back to the fountain here soon."

Yuri watched his faithful partner stand from his floor and walk down the stairs without a bark or whine in complaint. After he closed the door behind him, Yuri leaned against it and stared at the box in his hands. It still troubled him to accept something like this, but at least it seemed like the cost of it was drastically cheaper with the other members of their group helping out. At least Flynn didn't have the liberties to design the entire outfit... Yuri could just imagine it now, walking around head-to-toe in a tin can like the ever-so-faithful Commandant.

Screw that.

Yuri pulled on the gauntlet, the last of the uniform, and flexed his fingers once it was secure. So far so good, nothing felt out of place or fit strange, which made him curious to know who got his measurements and when. Well, Flynn probably had a helping hand in that department. They were the same height at least and probably had much of the same build. He added the finishing touch of tying his hair back – a rare gesture, he knew – and exited his room. During his walk he tested out his maneuverability, but nothing hindered him as far as movement was concerned, and it surprised him just how _light_ it all felt.

In the distance he could hear a small band playing on homemade instruments, but as much as he tried, Yuri couldn't remember a time when the Lower Quarter was this excited about _anything_. He finished climbing the stairs and gawked at just _who_ was playing in the band.

"Who knew Hanks could play a fiddle?" Yuri said to Flynn as he approached the blonde and looked around for his other comrades.

Not all of the members of his party were back yet, which left him wondering if the ladies were having difficulty taking off their uniforms after all. Karol was off having a time of his own banging on the small set of drums in the band, and – as expected – Raven was off flirting with a group of women until a bunch of kids pulled him away to play games. The residents of the Lower Quarter had already taken up dancing around the fountain.

"Yuri," Flynn greeted. "It looks good on you."

"And you look just as stuffy in that uniform as ever. Aren't you ever off the clock?"

"Our Commander is always prepared in case of an emergency," Sodia hissed as she approached the pair. "Commander, I helped the women out of their uniforms. They'll return shortly."

Even as she finished, Yuri saw Estelle's outline as she descended the slope and neared the lit area.

"Oh, Yuri! That uniform looks fabulous on you!" she complimented. "Does it fit all right? We weren't really sure on the measurements, but lucky for us Flynn was willing to help out."

"Aha! So you _did_ torture Flynn into helping you!" Yuri accused begrudingly, but his smirk suggested otherwise. "Don't worry about it. It fits fine, and there's plenty of room to move around."

"Huh, who knew the kid could actually hold a beat?" Rita said, changing the topic.

"Captain Karol's probably been a part of a music guild at one point. Nothing he does surprises me anymore," Yuri returned.

"Yes, that wouldn't be surprising," Judith said. "He's quite talented."

When the band finished their latest piece, Yuri and the others clapped as loud as they could.

"All right, Karol! You too, Hanks!" Yuri called, his wide grin reflected when Karol's eyes locked with his.

"Okay, settle down everyone. It's cake time!" the inn owner said over the ruckus. "Birthday boys first, but not before a song!"

Yuri watched Flynn place his head into the palm of his hand and couldn't help but want to do the same when everyone around them burst into a song of well wishes for another year, a song the Lower Quarter came up with long before Yuri was even born. He could just hear Rita withholding her chuckles behind him along with Karol. When he saw Estelle and Judith singing along, however, he had to wonder just exactly when they had the time to learn the folk song.

The torture lasted for an eternity, but at least it was torture he didn't have to suffer through alone. As always, Flynn was right there with him, enduring the same suffering until it finally stopped and they were allowed to dig into the cake.

_To Another Year of Memories._

_Happy Birthday, Yuri and Flynn!_

Luckily, it seemed the Lower Quarter hadn't forgotten Flynn's birthday either. They presented a hand-made quilt to him for when the nights grew chilly – and they would here soon – and remind him of home whenever he got lonely. It left Flynn flustered and rightfully so in Yuri's opinion. Sodia also presented a gift to him, but she asked that he not open it until later. Flynn acquiesced when he sensed how uncomfortable she was about it.

"Hey, Yuri!" Karol signaled for Yuri to follow him.

When they were away from the festivities, Yuri spoke. "What's up, Captain Karol?"

"I…I was just thinking. Do you think this would be a good insignia for our guild members to wear? I thought about the design for a long time! So…?"

He held out a box that Yuri flipped open to reveal a series of stars placed on top of one another. The top one had four points, the next eight, and the bottom had ten with a longer point jutting out the bottom. An intricate circle connected the space in between the eight-tipped star, and a three-ringed circle created the base of the badge.

"Wow, you designed this?" Yuri asked as he inspected the tips of the silver stars. Sharp but dull enough to not draw blood as long as the members were careful with them.

"Yeah! I thought it'd be cool. So what do you think?"

"I think we're going to have to get more of these made! I'm sure Judy will want one, but you'll need a different one since you're the boss."

"I was thinking about that, too, Yuri. Maybe you and I could both be bosses. I mean, I did ask you to help me _form_ the guild, right? It wouldn't be right if I was the only boss. Plus, I think it'll be easier when we acquire more members, too."

"Are you sure that's what you want, Karol? Forming a guild was initially your idea, and I don't think there's ever been one with two leaders."

"Yeah…but you helped me out a lot. If it wasn't for you, Yuri, this guild probably wouldn't have made it very far at all. Once it gets large enough, we could have two division of Brave Vesperia: one that focuses on less dangerous tasks like cleaning warehouses or helping out with daily activities and another that focuses on more dangerous tasks, like acting as body guards for other guilds like Fortune's Market."

"Careful, though, we wouldn't want to drive any other guilds out of business."

"That's true, and I plan to think on it some more, but we've already dabbled a little into everything. The more I've traveled with you, Yuri, the more I realize that I just want to see others smile. If our guild can do that, then I think it'll be worth it!"

"Well said, Captain Karol," Yuri complimented, a large grin plastered on his face.

_We fight so that others can smile_.

The festivities lasted well into the night, though the groups started to thin out the later it got until a few young adults remained to help clean up the mess. The ever-eccentric Estelle more than willingly lended her aid as best she could and even gathered the help of Sodia and a few others. A couple men had to drag Raven to bed after a busy night playing with the children. Yuri slipped away with Repede when no one was looking – still wearing his new uniform, which was more comfortable than he'd ever admit – down the length of the canal.

"To think we left this place with just you, me, and Estelle and returned with a lot more people," Yuri reminisced.

"Woof, woof!"

"Yeah, I wouldn't have it any other way either, but we still have one more big problem to take care of."

"Woof woof! Grrr."

"You said it, Repede. The Adephagos will fall this time. I'll make sure of it. We all will."

He sat down at the edge of the canal, his feet dangling over the edge but not quite touching the rushing water. From here he could see the dim lights the Lower Quarter set up, but the area around him was bathed in darkness. Repede plopped down next to him, his tail swishing back and forth like a feather duster.

"You're going to ruin that outfit before you've even had the chance to do anything with it," came Flynn's voice from the darkness. "Did you enjoy your little surprise?"

"Yeah, you caught me off-guard with it. I'll admit that," Yuri replied as his friend sat down next to him. "Here," he offered as he pulled something small out of his pocket. Wrapped.

"What's this?" Flynn asked, catching it when Yuri lightly tossed it his way.

"A gift, obviously."

"I figured that much out. What I was asking was…never mind." Flynn cut himself off before he could continue and get into another one of his many squabbles with the bane of his existence. "You didn't have to do anything, you know."

"Shut up, Flynn, and just open it."

Flynn did as told, picking at the paper until a thin, long box fell into his hand. He arched an eyebrow in curiosity at Yuri, who returned the curious look with a shrug. What he saw inside almost made him drop the box and the present along with it into the water.

"Yuri, what is this? Where did you find it?"

"I found it when I was looking through my dresser a while back. The glass was cracked, and the hands stopped moving. I wanted to get it fixed but wasn't able to do so until recently. Turns out I was able to find the manufacturer through Kaufman."

"The President of Fortune's Market?"

"Yeah. Found the watchmaker in Dahngrest and had it fixed there. You and I were lucky when we bought it, Flynn. It's one of a kind…well…at least it was."

Yuri pulled out a similar pocket watch, its gold plating glittering even under the starlight. He pressed the button to pop it open and let Flynn look inside. Even the chain was the same….

"When I told him what it was for, he offered to make a second one. I'm giving you the original though, figure it'd mean more."

Flynn pressed the button to open his own pocket watch, stared at the hands that ticked around its surface. The numbers were made of gold from the Desier continent, as was the gold plating, and the hands ticked along a navy blue background. It was one of the few things they saved up enough money to buy, and they almost missed out on their chance when a nobleman entered the shop shortly after they bought it. Just like the sword…the bread. Everything they shared.

"Thank you, Yuri."

"Sorry it's not quite as grand as a whole outfit."

Flynn shook his head and smiled at his friend.

"No, this is perfect. I couldn't have asked for a better gift...or a better friend."

"Hey, hey, I didn't ask for you to get sentimental on me."

"I know. It's just...Zaude left a really bitter taste in my mouth, made me realize that I'd be fighting alone if the one who fought with me all this time really did die."

Yuri listened in thoughtful silence, his eyes traveling along the design in the gold plating. He knew he'd upset Flynn - hell, he could still feel the strike to his cheek - but maybe it was something he didn't entirely understand.

"You wouldn't be alone though. You have a loyal mage and knight at your side, not to mention the Lower Quarter behind you, so stop your needless worrying. I don't need for you to lose your way either...er, forget I said that."

Flynn shot him a curious look but didn't inquire, at least not right now. Maybe he would someday if the subject ever came up again.

"Yes, you're right. I'm sorry."

"Hey, don't sweat it."

"Still...just...be more careful from now on, okay?"

Yuri opened his mouth to make the usual sarcastic reply, but something about the way Flynn requested it prevented him from doing so. So, he looked into the black waters below instead and smiled.

"All right, Flynn. At the same time, stop pushing yourself so hard and learn to take a breather here and there."

"I can try." Flynn shot Yuri a lopsided grin before they settled into silence.

After a bit, Yuri cleared his throat and stood. "I think it's time for me to head back. We're leaving early tomorrow to continue our journey, so if you don't mind, I think I'd like to sleep in my own bed instead of a prison's."

"You do know that was a ploy, correct?"

"Of course! There's no way I've made a big enough name of myself yet for the Council to care so much about me. Or that you'd already have so many knights." Yuri paused whilst his eyes traveled over the waters. "Take care, Flynn. You'll make it someday, just one step at a time."

Yuri turned his back on Flynn and waved, Repede close on his heels, leaving Flynn to stare after him as he walked away, the pocket watch still dangling from his fingers.

"You as well, Yuri," Flynn whispered long after Yuri vanished up the stairs.


End file.
